if an extraterrestrial ship entered our orbit and sent a friendly message, how would this be received?

Question

hypothetically lets assume that if another species had the technology to get to our planet then they might also know how to communicate so that we could understand them. how would the earth respond? would leaders all over the world cooperate in responding to their hello or would some countries act independently? think men in black but with friendly intentions for this scenario.

Answer 1

i think that MAYBE the world would act as one FOR ONCE... (Sigh)
to start negotiations, and find out what they want. if they really are freindly then we would try to form an alliance (i would think) or a trade agreement. if they were really just neutral or even hostile (despite their words) we might try to appease them...

Answer 2

As much as I want it to go one way, I just don't know how the world would actually react.

Imagine if the aliens' first attemp to communicate is via broadcast satelite. Then not only would our governments be aware, but so would most of the population of earth. This could cause pandemonium.

Think about all of the religious people who believe that their God made them special, and put them here on this world all alone in the universe. These people would have their world turned on its side. The leaders of many countries follow these beliefs too.

The task of countries all communicating and coming to a concensus on how to respond to them would be a huge job all by itself. You can bet that at least a handful of countries would not want earth to have anything to do with the aliens. This could cause a war, or cause people to act independantly.

And finally, even if earth does act as one for the first time in history, then that still only goes for the governments. There will still be many many ignorant people and bigots out there who 'don't take kindly to no alien types 'round here.' So if they ever came for a visit, someone might try to hurt one of them. Or other groups would be intent on trying to use them for their technology.

Answer 3

"The Fermi paradox is the apparent contradiction between high estimates of the probability of the existence of extraterrestrial civilizations and the lack of evidence for or contact with such civilizations.

According to some observers, the extreme age of the universe and its vast number of stars suggest that extraterrestrial life should be common. Discussing this proposition with colleagues over lunch in 1950, the physicist Enrico Fermi is said to have asked: "Where are they?" Fermi questioned why, if a multitude of advanced extraterrestrial civilizations exist in the Milky Way galaxy, evidence such as probes, spacecraft, or radio transmissions has not been found. The simple question "Where are they?" (alternatively, "Where is everybody?") is possibly apocryphal, but Fermi is widely credited with simplifying the problem of the probability of extraterrestrial life. Wider examination of the implications of the topic began with Michael Hart in 1975, and it is sometimes referred to as the Fermi-Hart paradox.

There have been attempts to resolve the Fermi Paradox by locating evidence of extraterrestrial civilizations, along with proposals that such life could exist without human knowledge. Counterarguments suggest that intelligent extraterrestrial life does not exist or occurs so rarely that humans will never make contact with it.

A great deal of effort has gone into developing scientific theories and possible models of extraterrestrial life and the Fermi paradox has become a theoretical reference point in much of this work. The problem has spawned numerous scholarly works addressing it directly, while various questions that relate to it have been addressed in fields as diverse as astronomy, biology, ecology and philosophy. The emerging field of astrobiology has brought an interdisciplinary approach to the Fermi paradox and the question of extraterrestrial life."--wikipedia

To the objective (or open minded ) person there are several possibliities:

1. Earth is unique-- Earth is the only planet capable of supporting life as we know it.
2. Earth is not unique in that there is life elsewhere but there are no other advanced civilizations in the universe.
3. Earthlike planets are extremely rare therefore any advanced civilizations are to far away for us to contact.
3. Earthlike planets are not rare, there are many civilizations out there but they are so far ahead of us technologically that they do not wish to be contacted.
4. Earthlike planets are not rare, there are many civilizations out there but their form of life may be so different than ours that communication may be impossible.
5. The Zoo hypothesis--we are being deliberately isolated by some advanced race wishing to protect us or cultivate us technologically.
6. We have been contacted but our governments feel that the general public is not "ready" for such a discovery and the aliens have respected that viewpoint.
7. They are already amoung us but we cannot see them (deliberate hiding or so differnet that our eyes can't see them)and our government doesn't know.

you can probably add to this list.

Answer 4

The Earth isn't ready for extraterrestrial life no matter how many of us think it is. There would be panic, most world leaders would respond it kind but all the while be arming themselves for war, and the chaos of it all would probably drive the aliens to leave.

Answer 5

I rather doubt we would answer with a unison voice. Each world leader would make their own replies. There would undoubtedly be one from the UN as well, but mankind is far too fragmented (and with each political leader wanting to make a show for their constituents) there would undoubtedly be numerous responses.

As far as what the response would be, I think most major governments would take the reasonable approach of cautious optimism. They would hope that they are genuine in their offer of peace and friendship but would make contingency plans.

Answer 6

relatively, no. All broadcast and communications radio / television antennas are designed to make certain that the final public of the sign transmitted maintains to be close to to the floor and the minimum achievable leaks into area. it relatively is glaring for commercial and functional motives, considering that there are no longer too many listeners in area that would purchase something from the advertisers. Now i don't be responsive to how a tactics you will could flow earlier any sign from the Earth would fade under the history noise and be in certainly fact undetectable, in spite of if it relatively is in all possibility a tactics under a hundred easy years. of course, in case you used a huge radio telecope to deliver a useful sign into area it would get somewhat greater, however the radio astronomers making use of the 'scope would merchandise to a waste of telescope time. so which you're ultimate, indicators fade under the history noise.

Answer 7

if such species would be capable travelling through space (chances are poor) it would be for them like you having an eye on an organized ant colony.

have you ever tried establishing communications ?
if they are civilized enough we could be glad they won't pull out their loupe and see how we run.

if we would take action its most propable that our military would take action first, since they would recognize first.
And since we are worldwide known as too undereducated and too much triggerhappy, you can bet what would happen to them.
you can also bet that we would again be the land who feels the urgent need to help all the world out in this incident, and we won't have any doubt that this would be the right thing to do.

so much energy but no light

Answer 8

With a great deal of suspicion and panic, religious leaders would prepare for the second coming, generals would demand a show of force, Oprah would invite them on her show and Martha Stewart would give her best recipe.

Answer 9

They would transmit on a common frequency that they would detect approaching us.
It would be some kind of binary information involving prime numbers.
They would progress from there.

Answer 10

Hi. I think with skepticism. All of the world's religious groups would want to know who's side they were on.